


it's future rust

by soniagiris



Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Medical Conditions, Sad Kissing, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 21:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10500087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soniagiris/pseuds/soniagiris
Summary: They grow closer, but the future won't change just because of that. There's no chance of altering anything, not for them.





	

**Author's Note:**

>   * [title source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYoINidnLRQ) & [soundtrack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfvcPeWO8yk)
>   * shot out to ppl from discord (especially vee @ikuzonos and star @dunyazad; i Love you) for betaing this ficlet o3o
>   * warnings in the end notes
> 


Looking hurt and vulnerable doesn't really fit Kirigiri. She should never look like that, he thought, seeing her lying in bed with her hair spilled on the pillow, close eyed and paler than usual, only the purple shade of her skin standing out in the sea of white. Togami clenches his fists in the pocket of his suit jacket, and inhales shakily through his nose. Then finally forces himself to open the door.

The whirring machines keeping Kirigiri alive beep louder when she stirs and opens her unbandaged eye. She blinks it sluggishly and moves her mouth as if to say something, but a coughing fit overtakes her.

"Wait," Togami says in a carefully even voice and forces himself to walk to Kirigiri's bedside, to take hold of a glass of water and put it to the woman's mouth, slowly tipping it as he keeps her head up. Her lilac locks feel dry and unhealthy, and the look she gives him is almost daring. 

"Naegi," she croaks over the rim of the glass. Togami doesn't even feel surprised. 

"He's not here," he mutters, letting go of her and pulling a chair closer to the bed. "That's slightly offending me, that you prefer his company than mine," he offers, hoping Kirigiri will take the bait and they'll banter for a while, just for a while, their casualness smothering and blanketing this awkward empty feeling. 

"Where," she says instead, and Togami can't quite look her in the eye. 

"We— I don't know. All he said was that he's going to accompany Munakata, and then. Then he was gone."

Kirigiri breathes out weakly, then closes her eye.

"How are you feeling?"

She doesn't reply. Maybe she fell back into that soft unconsciousness. Togami presses his lips together, then stands up, adjusts his tie and leaves the room. The hospital. But, as he feels the smell of fumes and concrete, the memories don't leave him.

(once she made him buy her a bottle of shampoo and told him to get a lilac scented one, and he laughed at that, but her hair still has this sweet fragrance)

  


* * *

  


Taking over the Foundation turned out to be quite a hassle, and yet Togami could find a few minutes for himself to go visit Kirigiri only a week later. Asahina said that she's doing better, and he does long for an intelligent conversation. He says so to the girl, and she laughs. He cracks a smile.

This time, Kirigiri is more awake, and nods at him when he enters her room. There's a book lying in her lap and, if it weren't for the IVs and the bandages and— if it weren't for that, she'd almost look normal. Healthy. Fine. Almost.

The way her lips curl when he sits by her side isn't fine, too. And how her left hand shakes when she closes the book. Togami averts his gaze. It feels… intrusive, seeing the strong, vicious Kirigiri having to show her weakness. 

"Anything new?" she asks after a while of heavy silence. Togami shrugs, staring at the windowsill, knowing that seeing the red skies would make his stomach churn.

"Same old, same old. As an in-acting chairman, I have to reorganize the underlying structures, assign new leaders, weed out Andou's rebels… Additionally, we had no other choice than moving some hostages from Towa to our base, Naegi's sister and Fukawa included. Many of them are to become chairpersons, considering that—"

"Any news about Naegi?" Kirigiri cuts in, and while her voice is even, there's a flash of something wild and raw in her eye. Togami can't help but glance at the IVs, wondering what are they pumping into Kirigiri's veins, to make her so unguarded. However, when their eyes meet, her face is relaxed and calm. And this sudden contrast feels like a sliver of ice. Why?

Why?

"No," Togami forces out. "Nothing at all."

"I see," she says impassively. "Then… Maybe you should go back to work. Find him."

It's always about him, Togami wants to say. You talk about hope, and you put all your hope in him, and you find him a center of our group, of the Survivor Six, and you never stop, you never think—

He shuts his mouth. Bites on his tongue, hard, then briskly stands up and says,  "I'll visit you in a few days. Maybe."

"Do come in," Kirigiri says. "After all, you didn't even ask about my health."

Togami smiles at that waspish tone, offhandedly realizing he missed it.

"I don't need to. I stay in touch with your physician, as any sane person would do."

"I didn't know you cared," Kirigiri purrs, and Togami's smile grows as he walks outside.

(he can almost see her half-lidded gaze glued to the back of his head, the same one as when they had coffee breaks on long nights)

  


* * *

  


The next week and a half is both a blur and a drag, and Togami barely gets a wink of sleep between conferences, filling out papers and monitoring even the smallest activities, because, for God's sake, this organization is the only thing holding their world together, and he won't allow Tengan's abhorrent actions to destroy this house of cards. But, let's be honest, at one point he does understand Munakata's decision to travel the world, for taking care of this (as Fukawa elegantly put it) clusterfuck is headache-inducing.

After making one of his faceless subordinates take care of simple yet dull paperwork, he drives his nutshell of a car to the hospital, but, after parking, he doesn't get out. Just sits with his hands on the wheel, taking measured breaths and thinking about how Kirigiri once smiled, truly smiled at him, when he swore at her in French, and how her airy reply rang out in the cool air of the late evening. 

Finally, he does get out, moves through the corridors with his thoughts growing more and more hazy, and, upon entering Kirigiri's room, slumps against the door with a tired sigh.

"Bad day?" Kirigiri inquires with a smirk.

"Bad week."

"Bad month."

"Bad life."

They chuckle. The bright glow of floodlights feels almost comforting, in a strange, indie way. Kirigiri's hand still shivers when she reaches out for a glass of water. Before even realizing it, Togami stands up and runs up to her in order to help her with this task. 

She doesn't push him away, allows him to held the glass up, but her lip shakes, just like back then, during Ikusaba's first trial, when she had to lie her way through everything, and only recently it clicked, that it wasn't fear, but anger.

"I'm fine," she says after Togami moves away. "Your assistance… I did appreciate it, but I could've done it by myself."

"Oh, cut this balderdash, Kirigiri," Togami spits out, the previous comfortable atmosphere be damned. "You can't even stand up by yourself, and never will be able to, your eye is all— all fucked up—" she opens her mouth, but he doesn't care "—and you won't be able to live like you did before. Face the truth. Don't hide yourself from it."

He breathes out. In. Out. Kirigiri is staring at him, wide-eyed and with her fists clenched on the deathly white sheets, the collar of her robe has slipped off her shoulder and shows the purple-tinged skin, and Togami feels sick.

He feels tired. He feels alone.

"No news on Naegi," he adds, twisting the knife in, being cruel despite it being absolutely unnecessary. "Now I can take my leave.”

He turns on his heel and does as he said, suddenly full of poisonous energy. His glasses slip off his nose, but he doesn't push them up, afraid of seeing his own reflection. His eyes sting. 

Pathetic, really. But at least he finally cracked the case of Kyoko Kirigiri.

(one of his leads was the brush of her hand against his when they heard about towa city, and the worn leather was warm, and the touch of soft skin of her wrist against his felt cold)

  


* * *

  


Hagakure's persistent nagging is the breaking point. Asahina's pleads were easy to brush off, and Togami has learned to tune out Fukawa's whines. But, while Hagakure is an obnoxious piece of work, he says that Naegi wouldn't like them two to be having a row when he got back (because he will come back, he has to). And something about it hits home. Maybe the tone of Hagakure's voice, not pleading but calm and surprisingly mature, maybe his tired gaze, maybe how he nudges him in the arm. But Togami doesn't dwell on it, simply gets a cup of hot chocolate and walks into the now-familiar room as if he owns the place. And maybe he does. After all, it's been almost two months since that game, since Naegi and Munakata happily drove into the sunset, since Togami had to take care of these sad remains. Since Kirigiri died and was reborn.

And her eyes are dead when she looks at him. Dead yet full of unhidden sorrow. It makes her look younger, even innocent. 

"Thank you," she says when he hands her the cup, then folds his hands on his lap. Her voice is hoarse, and Togami hates to think it's from being unused. Surely, Komaru and Asahina have been visiting her. It's stupid of him even to consider that unbreakable Kirigiri would close herself after an angry rant. 

It still pains him. Leaves behind a bitter aftertaste. A lie, nothing but a lie, and he finds himself believing in it. And now Kirigiri doesn't even bother masking her emotions when she takes a small sip and breaks out in a smile.

"You remembered about the cinnamon," she murmurs. Togami scoffs.

"Expect the best of me, Kirigiri." 

She laughs over the rim, and it's a sweet sound. Togami hates to break this delicate moment of casualness shading the dark.

"My previous outburst," he starts. Wets his lips. "It was uncalled for."

"Yet it was partially truth, Togami," Kirigiri replies. "My life has changed, and I'm not pleased about it. However… I'm going to try to make it as useful as before, for as long as possible."

Useful, Togami repeats. It's always about being useful. About using one's talents till blood covers your scraped knuckles and each breath rattles in your chest. And Kirigiri used her talent to find her father, her dad, her daddy, and she never talks about him. Not anymore, not after when, after recovering her memories, she cuddled up in the corner and refused to be touched, let alone soothed. 

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Togami says to himself. It's barely audible, nothing more than a breathy whisper, yet Kirigiri whips her head up.

"Excuse me?"

"Nevermind." Togami brushes off his jacket, then stands up and, racing with his hardened heart, leans forward and presses his lips to Kirigiri's.

It doesn't last. No more than a second. She barely has the time to tilt her head and open her mouth slightly. She tastes like chocolate, cinnamon and something sickly sweet, and Togami engraves this into his mind, where her lips begin, how soft and dry they felt, and how the warmth of her breath filled his throat.

He pulls away. Kirigiri blinks, then rasps out,

"We can't."

"I know," Togami says emotionlessly and takes his leave.

(he kissed her cheek as a greeting during the ball his father organized, and she agreed to accompany him, and her fond laugh was rich and full, like cherries dipped in dark chocolate)

  


* * *

  


When the news of Naegi's and Munakata's arrival reach him, Togami doesn't even care about the fact he was having a free day, hanging out in his tiny apartment while wearing his only hoodie with jeans. He simply bolts outside and doesn't bother taking his car, simply runs the mile from his home to the base, and almost has a heart attack upon seeing the missing men.

They're both ragged and covered in smudges of dirt and dry blood, their hair falling onto their faces. Naegi has his arm in a sling and can't quite keep his head up. Munakata, his arm around Naegi's shoulders, is busy arguing with some guards from Sixth Branch.

"—no time for that," Togami hears Munakata growl. "Stop being idiots and just help me get him to hospital, he's got an infected wound—"

"What he said," Togami barks out while flashing his ID card. "You lot are to carry Makoto Naegi to ICU while I have a few words with Munakata."

Not even a minute passes since they two are left alone. Togami toys with the drawstrings, not quite looking at the other man who leans against the rusty car he probably used to get here. The sun is setting, making the sky by the horizon ever more vibrantly red. 

"How are the things?" Munakata finally says. Togami shrugs. "Ah. I see."

"Could be worse, could be better." He blows a strand of hair from his eyes. "However, now that you are done with your jolly adventure, how about you get back to work?"

"Alright," Munakata smiles, and somehow he looks… he looks young. Definitely more collected and calm than during the final game. Togami scoffs at that.

"But first — you go to the hospital too. Never had that eye checked out, didn't you?" And, before his thoughts caught up with him, Togami adds, "And I need to tell Kirigiri that Naegi is back."

Munakata's smile freezes. He breathes out, but doesn't say anything else. Togami feels a pang of vague guilt, ignores it, takes care of things. Same old.

But this forced calm evaporates when, after leaving Naegi (who's doped up to his gills) a message, he slithers into Kirigiri's room and finds the woman—

"Oh god," he lets out, trying to take in the— the sight of more machines than before, how her breaths wheeze, and how she's struggling to keep her eye open. 

"I lied to you," she says hoarsely. "My doctor did, to be.. to be exact. I asked him to hide some… information. So— Sorry."

Togami's legs give out, and he sits on the floor beside the bed. He barely realizes he's reaching out to grab Kirigiri's hand, tangle their fingers together. It's cold, the exposed burns are colder than ice cubes, and it scares him.

"How long?" he asks, and those two words feel like iron chains around his neck, but something in Kirigiri's exposed regret is a telltale sign the time of lies and half-truths has ended.

"About… a week." She squeezes his fingers, so very weakly, “The… the blood transfusion was too late, and my body… has absorbed too much of the poison. There was a chance it would expel it, but…" Were she someone else, Togami would say she's on the verge of crying.

But, when he raises his eyes, there are tears streaming down her face. And he hates hates hates himself for the words he has to say.

"Naegi's back."

"Does… does he know about me?" Kirigiri chokes out. Her hand shakes in his grip.

"He is to come here, as soon as possible."

"He can't, oh god, he— he can't." 

Can't see her like this? Can't know? Can't break down? Or maybe— all of it. But Togami— 

Togami is cruel. But Byakuya isn't.

"You can't," Byakuya says in French. "Let him get closure. Please. Kirigiri… Kyoko." He bows his head, and that's unsightly, but, honestly, fuck it. "I beg of you. If you ever loved him, or loved me, allow him this."

"Okay. But— but you take care of him." The last three words are a sob, a pathetic noise, and it breaks his heart. Almost.

He presses a kiss to her hand, the canyons of scars harsh and too fucking real underneath his mouth, and stands up. 

And he leaves the room.

Leaves Kyoko's life.

When he sees Naegi standing in the corridor, his eyes both dull and sharp, all Togami can say is,

"Take care of her."

(the first time he saw her, his instinct said that she'd change his life, but he ignored that, and he ignored how her smile made him think of flowery meadows and wooden floors, made him think of home).

**Author's Note:**

> a/n
> 
>   * **cw: medical stuff (machines, ivs, bandages, medications, infection); swearing; eye horror discussion; swearing; death mention(s); blood mention; light pda**
>   * tbh i didn't know if i'm for or against kirigiri surviving dr3. in the end..... i think it might've ended up like this. but. but maybe without. you know. her having to die Again. i'm sorry.
>   * would say more but i'm having a smol cold and my brain can't focus on anytOOH SHINY
> 



End file.
